Less than two months after the news of the animal love between Raisin and his young companion from the Czech Republic, the Debrecen Zoo can provide other good news about the house of their large armadillo, as the first tattoo babies in the history of the institution were born on 13 August. Twins of the as yet unknown sex still need the constant care of their mother until they are about two months old; their backs are covered with soft pink skin until the formation of the bony armor characteristic of the species, and their eyes will open only at 2-4 weeks. At present, the only large armadillo family with children can be seen in a social show with the two-fingered sloths at the institution’s Tropical House – moreover, in the further expanding Animals in Action program, we can watch not only sloths but also armadillo every day from 11:30.
Native to the southern pampas, semi-deserts, and forests of South America, the great-haired barn owl, also known as the bristle armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus), is a truly special and ancient old-fashioned order. Its most striking feature is the bony armor, which consists of 7-8 belts and is covered with long hairs, protecting most of the back. An omnivore, it searches the ground for its food, aided by his excellent sense of smell and strong claws that specialize in digging. It spends a significant part of its time underground, where, thanks to his special respiratory system, it is able to breathe air without absorbing soil particles.
Although they are widely hunted for their flesh and armor in their natural habitat and have been included in the Red List of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), due to their toughness and excellent adaptability, the stock of large fur is still populous and stable.
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